“Today marks the 30th annual Earth Day, where Ontarians join people across the globe in celebrating this planet we all share and re-dedicating ourselves to tackling the climate crisis.

Ontario is blessed with more than 250,000 lakes, which contain a third of the fresh water in the world. We have a third of North America’s boreal forest and a quarter of the world’s wetlands. We have a lot to be thankful for – and a lot to be vigilant in protecting.

Ontario’s New Democrats have been proud leaders on the environment for decades. We created the position of Environmental Commissioner, passed an Environmental Bill of Rights, and also passed the Crown Forest Sustainability Act. But as the climate crisis accelerates, it’s time to ramp up our work.

That’s why we are dedicated to a Green New Democratic Deal that will make Ontario net-zero by 2050, cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, and kick-start the largest building retrofit program in the world.

I know that Ontario can be a leader in the fight against the climate crisis, and that we can create over a million jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity. Especially in the wake of COVID-19’s economic devastation, I believe that our plan for climate, jobs and hope can re-build our economy to make sure every community thrives, and no one is left behind.